Amid a flurry of complaints from citizens about the tardy response of some police personnel to reports made by citizens, Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington has read the Riot Act to the men and women under his watch.

Yesterday, the commissioner instructed members of the force to record citizens' reports and act on them.

"I want to re-emphasise that no citizen making a crime report, a report of any offence or a request for any kind of police service at a police station or by telephone should be redirected to another police station or office," Ellington said.

He directed the Inspectorate of Constabulary "to robustly investigate every instance of failure by the police to properly treat with and the appropriate actions taken in response to reports made by citizens with a view of possible dismissal".

He said the practice of redirecting citizens to other police stations for assistance was incorrect.

Ellington pledged that every effort would be made, through training and sensitisation to educate members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and its auxiliaries, as to the proper and correct procedures to follow when dealing with reports from citizens.

"I want to be very clear and this is the main message being transmitted to all members - there is one police jurisdiction and that jurisdiction is Jamaica," the commissioner stated.